Updated: RTD moves another step forward with Northwest Rail BRT

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) Board announced today that it is moving forward with plans to build a $75 million bus rapid transit (BRT) system along Colorado 119 between Boulder and Longmont.The board voted to have arterial BRT as the next transportation priority in the northwest region’s plans this week, in part because the recent Northwest Area Mobility Study determined that arterial BRT on Colorado 119 improves the area’s mobility.

RTD spokeswoman Marta Sipeki said the agency has applied for federal funds to complete the next round of environmental and engineering studies on the project. “If we are successful, in 2015 we will begin environmental review, planning and preliminary engineering on the corridor. Those results will determine when construction will begin,” Sipeki. Results of this round of grant applications are expected this fall, she said, and if funding is acquired the bus system could be operational in roughly seven years.“It’s too early for us to speculate on an exact timeline, however, the expectation is that implementation of the Colorado 119 BRT corridor would occur in the 2021 to 2024 time frame, if not sooner,” she said.